Every cymbal is a unique combination of voices that come together in a 'sound'. And, these voices are artifacts of materials, manufacturing techniques, treatments, and luck. The 'sound' of Art, Elvin, Tony, Roy, Jack and others is fundamentally their carefully chosen cymbals. At Virtual Cymbals.com we believe that every drummer -- from pro to student -- should seek their own 'sound'.
This page is a primer for our customers to better understand the cymbals that we sell. Some basic knowledge of cymbals, and what is generally appropriate for your style of music, is assumed. Another good source is Hugo Pinksterboer's "The Cymbal Book". And of course ask us questions, we can always help.
A word about 'cymbal rules'
Much of the literature about cymbal basics espouse 'cymbal rules'. Some examples: "darker cymbals are for jazz, brighter cymbals for rock" or "left side rides should be one size smaller then your main ride" or "tape on a cymbal is an indication of poor skills". But rules are meant to be broken. The only rule we follow at Front Range Bronze is that you should "TRUST YOUR EARS" and "LISTEN, LISTEN, LISTEN".
Cymbal selection basics
At Virtual Cymbals.com our goal is to provide our customers with sound and video files, descriptions, and other information to help drummers find their 'sound'. We have developed unique tools to assist pro's, novices, and everyone in-between. In the section below we outline basic strategies to quickly and easily choose the right cymbal/s. Use the video jukebox
The jukebox is loaded with audio and video samples representing cymbals from our current stock, sold cymbals, and classic vintage examples. Use these files to both discover what is sonically possible, and to find the cymbal you need.
Pay attention to weight
A cymbal's weight is dependant on a number of factors including the size of the bell, thickness, and the overall diameter. In a very general sense weight can 'ballpark' a number of sonic characteristics (see below). But there are always cymbals that don't conform to the general weight 'powerlaw'. As always, you have to trust your ears. Additionally, cymbals that are hammered rather then rolled into their initial shape tend to play lighter. Generally heavier cymbals have a higher pitch or fundamental, and lighter cymbals have a darker sound.
For a 'Turkish' style cymbal I consider the following to be a medium weight.
18cymbal, 1400 grams
20" cymbal, 1800 grams
22" cymbal, 2000 grams
14" hihats, 7++ grams, 7++ grams
For a 'Chinese-Western' hybrid you can add 200 grams or so to the weights above.
What is trash anyway?
Trash is an important componant of the overall sound. Too much can make a cymbal sound dissonant, too little yields a one-dimensional sounding pie. Trash can be smooth - as in that associated with a well balanced vintage cymbal. Or it can be brittle, often attributed to really raw China-style cymbals. To me good trash hits you in the stomach and makes the cymbal sound slightly bitter and hollow - almost as if the cymbal is being played from a great distance at the bottom of a well. Adjectives I use for trash: raw, brittle, golden, hollow, acid, burning.
Wash, dryness, connectedness
In the best cymbal wash provides a cushion that defines the stick sound. My favorite type of wash is one that resembles a low crowd noise - almost like white noise. In some cymbals the wash can be composed of multiple elements and is often confused with the stick sound. A cymbal with a long sustain is generally referred to as wet, a cymbal with a short sustain is dry.
Connectedness refers to the relationship between the stick sound and the wash. In some cymbals the stick and some wash elements occur at the same time, in others they are completely seperate. I tend to prefer cymbals with a total disconnection. I also do not like the term "overtones' - which is often mistakenly applied to wash elements. We perceive all the sounds emanating from the cymbal as a composite that we assemble mentally into a profile. To me the term 'overtones' implies something that should not be present.
Stick sound and feel
Stick provides definition and projects the actual strokes/patterns that you play. Most jazz players seek maximum stick definition. At the opposite extreme would be Keith Moon or Mitch Mitchell where the stick sound is swallowed by the wash. I think of stick sound as being defined by three essential variables. First, is the amount of actual stick that reaches the listener. This is often expressed as a 'woody' sound or a 'tah' sound. This is the ultra-clicky stick of Bill Stewart. Next, is the connectedness of the stick sound to the wash. For some cymbals the wash is a completely seperate element (see above). In others there is an extra wash componant with a faster decay that originates at the stroke and falls off quickly. This most often yields a higher-pitched, or brittle, stick sound that buries the woody element of the stick. Finally, is the amount of the bell that is incorporated into the stick sound. This can yield a higher hollow element that does not obscure the actual 'woodiness' of the stick but instead enhances it.
Feel is a little harder to define and I often think of it as a continuem. At one end is a cymbal with a stiff stick feel. Here the stick easily rebounds or snaps off the bow with a sharp attack. This can be contrasted with a soft feel in which it seems as if you have to pull the stick out of the cymbal. In this instance you have to work the stick more by pulling it back from the bow. I think that this 'digging in' action deadens the sound a bit resulting in more stick.
Stick type, tip type, playing style/grip, and attack location can all have a huge influence on sound. This is one advantage of the video files - you can see exactly where and how I am striking the cymbal. For all my sound and video files I use a Vic Firth SD4 Combo with a barrel tip.
Bright & dark
A bright cymbal is generally percieved as having a higher pitched sound, while a dark cymbal is associated with a low pitch (see below for a definition of percieved sound). In reality the traits determing dark/bright are a bit more complex then just pitch alone. The most obvious question is darker or brighter in comparison to what? I generally consider a classic Zildjian Avedis cymbal from the late 1960's or early 1970's to be the baseline - not dark, and not bright. In general dark cymbals are best for small group work but get lost in electrified or other settings. Bright cymbals carry better and can be heard through brass or other instruments. But of course there are no rules -- people use dark & bright cymbals in all settings.
Pitch and perceived vs actual sound
Most cymbals are multi-dimensional. The sound we hear is an amalgam of wash elements, stick attack, and tones originating from the bell/bridge area - all of which may have a slightly different pitch. This composite is what I refer to as the percieved sound. We assemble these disparate units in our head to create a unified vision of a cymbal's sound - most often expressed as pitch but in reality more complex. Humans are hardwired to catagorize, simplify, and then create a composite to understand our complex world, and this is what we do with cymbals (probably drums and other instruments as well). For some cymbals it takes a micro-second for us to assemble the composite and in others this task is simplier. Cymbals in the first catagory are often called complex, while the latter are catagorized as simplier or one-dimensional. For me complex cymbals are ones that when crashed or played take on an initial pitch that takes a moment to resolve itself into a final - usually higher pitch.
Most drummers seek complex cymbals as these plates yield many voices, require time to learn, and have that 'sound'. Ironically, in a musical situation, complex plates don't often carry well. When the multi-vocal, complex, 'Nefertiti' cymbal is 'played out' it has to compete with multiple sources (other instruments, talkers, clanging cutlery) that filter complexity into a composite. In other words, what we actually hear is not what the audience may hear. This is what I refer to as the actual sound. With a complex cymbal it is hard to control the actual sound resulting in the transmission of unclear musical concepts. In many situations a simplier sounding cymbal will actually translate and carry better. How do you determine the 'actual sound' - trial and error. It always pays to carry a backup ride.
The influence of manufacturing techniques
Alloys
All of the cymbals we sell are made from bronze, which is an alloy of copper and tin with trace amounts of various other metals. The exact formulas used are a carefully guarded trade secrets. B20 - 80% copper and 20% tin- is a common and possibly very old formulation that is now associated with 'pro-level' (whatever that means) cymbals. B20 cymbals are typically on the 'dark' side with a tight stick feel. B23 cymbals - 83% copper, 17% tin - have a brighter, shimmery sound with a stiff stick response.
Another common alloy is b8 - 92% copper, 8% tin - which is used for sheet cymbals (see shaping below) but also associated with some Paiste professional series (2002, etc). Currently Front Range Bronze sells cymbals made from both b20 and b23 bronze.
Initial shaping
The manner in which the forged bronze disc is initially shaped has a huge influence on sound - and no method is superior to another. First are 'Turkish' style cymbals that are alternately heated and rolled through a press many times unitl the blank acheives the correct size and thickness. This blank is then sometimes pressed into shape, with the bell or cup also pressed. This method results in a very uniform cymbal in terms of thickness - including the bridge and bell area. Rolled cymbals typically have a very smooth sound.
Next are cymbals that are succesivly heated and hammered into shape with sledges. This is the traditional Chinese method of shaping and is associated with China-style and China-Western hybrid cymbals along with gongs. It is also how vintage Zildjian Avedis and Istanbul K cymbals were shaped up to the mid-1950's. This results in a cymbal with a bow of variable thickness and a heavier bridge and bell area. Cymbals shaped by hammering most often have a very thin bow/edge area with significant variation in sound.
Finally are cymbals that are simply cut from sheets of bronze (sheet cymbals) typically associated with cheap, b8, starter cymbals. Some of these cymbals are so dark, trashy, and nasty that they work well as crashes or accent cymbals. Front Range Bronze currently sells cymbals that are both rolled and hammered into shape.
Hammering
The manner in which a cymbal is hammered has perhaps the greatest influence on sound. Hammering determines the final shape of the cymbal, the angle of the bridge (see below), and the shape of the bell. I have heard great cymbals that are crafted through extensive hand hammering, and awesome cymbals that were mechanically hammered. Hammering can extend all the way to the edge of the cymbal, sometimes it is accomplished only in bands leaving completely unhammered areas. Sometimes it is completely uniform, sometimes it is totally random.
Types of hammering
Cymbals can either be hammered by hand, by a machine driven by a computer, by a machine driven by a human, or by some
combination of the above. I don't want to get into an involved discussion about what constitutes true hand hammering because frankly, I don't care. To me it's all about the sound, sound, sound!! Having said that most of the cymbals I prefer have some element of hand hammering. That is a human actually picks up a hammer and strikes a blank This hammering is typically done successively by instruments of decreasing size, and varied shape. The actual manner in which the cymbal is hammered varies greatly by manufacturer, cymbal series, and size. All the cymbals we sell are hand hammered and the style of that hammering varies by both brand and series. Please see our product descriptions and reviews for more details.
Lathing
Lathing is an often overlooked element in the sound of a cymbal. Fine lathing is composed of thin width bands that are often spaced closely together. Course lathing is composed of thick bands spaced farather apart. Pin lathing (micro-lathing) is associated with very fine bands. Cymbals can be lathing with a single type of lathing, many kinds of lathing, or distinct lathing on different elements. Vintage Avedis Zildjian cymbals from the 1940's (transitional stamp), for example, often have multiple thin and thick passes on the bow and pin lathing on the bell. Generally even lathing translates into sonic smoothness while thinner bands equate with controllability.
The bridge
The bridge is the connection between the bell and the bow of the cymbal. This is a critical junction that influences how dark and complex the cymbal will be. In my opinion the bridge is a major determinant of the overall cymbal sound. The example below is a picture of a vintage K IstanbulI with a very gradual bridge.
A gradual bridge allows some of the bell sound to leak into the wash, and sometimes stick sound, providing darkness and depth. An abrupt bridge isolates the bell from the rest of the cymbal yeilding a distinct bell and bow sound - often translating into a brighter cymbal. In some cymbals the bell has actually been depressed during the manufacturing process - usually hammering - resulting in a very gradual bridge. This also creates a 'dead zone', sometimes compared to a barking sound, in the first couple of inches between the edge of the bridge and the upper part of the bow. Many steller jazz cymbals possess a 'barking seal' zone. I tend to prefer cymbals that have very gradual bridges.
The overall profile
The profile refers to the general curvature of the cymbal. A truly flat cymbal would rest on a flat surface like a piece of paper with only the bell protruding. Most cymbals have some degree of graduation or a rounded profile. A flanged plate has a pronounced downward curve usually in the last couple inches of the bow. Flanged profiles often equate with increased controllability. Flatter cymbals usually have less tension in the bow and so a softern stick feel and increased darkness.
Patina
Over time as a result of weathering bronze develops a chemical coating known as a patina. Composed of copper carbonate, dirt, and general funk, a cymbal patina serves to protect the inner metal while at the same time altering the color of the cymbal - usually a brown or green-brown color.
The cymbal above is a great example of a cymbal with 'patina'. In terms of sound patina has assumed mythic proportions among the cymbal crazed. A well developed patina is generally thought to increase the smoothness, dryness, and overall focus of a cymbal. Patina development takes time and there are many mechanisms that people have used to accelerate the weathering process ranging from chemical treatments, submersion in salt water, rubbing with French's Fried Chicken, entombment in soil, and rubbing a cymbal with lemon and salt (among many others). Front Range Bronze can artificially induce a patina on a new cymbal - email us for details.
What does all this really mean?
In the end only you can create and project 'your sound'. Trust yourself and your ears. Learn your cymbal, spend time with it, create practice space to only do cymbal work, and listen, listen, listen.
Cool cymbal slang
Here is some cymbal slang to inject into conversation to make yourself sound cool and music-like - in no particular order. Plate, platillos, pie, juicy pie, lid, sonic disc, disc, cymbale, bronze frisbee, swing - inducer, injector, bronze - disc, diaphram, lid, sonic inducer, Real Book page turner, - I'm sure people will give me more.
If in doubt just interject 'cat' or 'cats' - as in "we are all just cats here" - into any sentence.
